This dissertation research was conducted to help understand this under-researched area particularly in the field of leisure and tourism. It is argued in this study that the celebrity fandom is a novel form of leisure/tourism activity, which should be understood in relation to other leisure and tourism constructs. Two separate models were proposed: one model was concerned with the impacts of celebrity involvement on various tourism perceptions, and the other model investigated the efficacy of celebrity involvement within the constraints-effects-mitigation model. The results corroborated several hypothesized relationships within the first proposed model. The level of celebrity involvement positively affected destination familiarity and visitation intention. Destination images and familiarity were also positively related to visitation intentions. The positive association between affective images and cognitive images was empirically supported as well. However, contrary to the expectation, the posited relationship between celebrity involvement and destination images was not empirically supported. The results supported all the hypothesized relationships within the second model. The level of celebrity involvement positively affects constraints negotiation and frequency of participation in celebrity fandom activities. The study also found that the level of leisure constraints positively influence constraints negotiation and frequency of participation. The positive relationship between constraints negotiation and frequency of participation was empirically supported as well. This dissertation study makes several significant contributions to existing literature in the field of tourism and leisure studies. First of all, it introduces a concept of celebrity fandom to the field of tourism studies. Second, although leisure involvement has received widespread attention over the last two decades, its application to celebrity fandom has gone virtually ignored. Third, in spite of conceptual and operational parallels between leisure involvement and motivation, the possible interchangeability between the two concepts has never been empirically examined. Lastly, this research helps clarify the effects of leisure involvement on the leisure negotiation processes, which eventually contributes to making this mitigation model more comprehensive.

This dissertation research was conducted to help understand this under-researched area particularly in the field of leisure and tourism. It is argued in this study that the celebrity fandom is a novel form of leisure/tourism activity, which should be understood in relation to other leisure and tourism constructs. Two separate models were proposed: one model was concerned with the impacts of celebrity involvement on various tourism perceptions, and the other model investigated the efficacy of celebrity involvement within the constraints-effects-mitigation model. The results corroborated several hypothesized relationships within the first proposed model. The level of celebrity involvement positively affected destination familiarity and visitation intention. Destination images and familiarity were also positively related to visitation intentions. The positive association between affective images and cognitive images was empirically supported as well. However, contrary to the expectation, the posited relationship between celebrity involvement and destination images was not empirically supported. The results supported all the hypothesized relationships within the second model. The level of celebrity involvement positively affects constraints negotiation and frequency of participation in celebrity fandom activities. The study also found that the level of leisure constraints positively influence constraints negotiation and frequency of participation. The positive relationship between constraints negotiation and frequency of participation was empirically supported as well. This dissertation study makes several significant contributions to existing literature in the field of tourism and leisure studies. First of all, it introduces a concept of celebrity fandom to the field of tourism studies. Second, although leisure involvement has received widespread attention over the last two decades, its application to celebrity fandom has gone virtually ignored. Third, in spite of conceptual and operational parallels between leisure involvement and motivation, the possible interchangeability between the two concepts has never been empirically examined. Lastly, this research helps clarify the effects of leisure involvement on the leisure negotiation processes, which eventually contributes to making this mitigation model more comprehensive.

Au Japon, le terme otaku désigne toute personne ayant un intérêt prononcé pour les produits de la culture populaire, en particulier les médias de divertissement comme la bande dessinée, le dessin animé, les jeux vidéo et leurs produits dérivés (figurines, modèles, costumes, etc.). Absorbé par son loisir et censément incapable de distinguer la réalité de la fiction, l’otaku est vu comme un sujet improductif et socialement inadapté voire dangereux. Cette étude a pour objectif de cerner les composantes du stéréotype façonné par le discours de presse et de les confronter aux représentations qu’en donne le milieu otaku à partir du film Otaku no Video (1992) explicitement réalisé pour rectifier cette image. Le film est composé de deux volets dialogiquement imbriqués l’un dans l’autre : d’une part, un dessin animé relatant le parcours d’un jeune Japonais qui devient otaku, récit initiatique fondé sur le vécu personnel et professionnel de ses auteurs; d’autre part, une série de dix « portraits » d’otaku sous forme d’entrevues en prises de vues réelles mais fictives. Le premier chapitre de l’étude explore l’origine et les formes de l’« étiquetage » (Becker, Kam) ainsi que les fondements de l’ostracisme qui frappe les otaku à cause de leur attrait pour l’« imaginaire » aux dépens du « fonctionnalisme institutionnel » (Castoriadis), ce par quoi on peut les considérer comme sujets postmodernes, producteurs et consommateurs de « simulacres » (Baudrillard, Azuma). Consacré au volet animé, le deuxième chapitre analyse les procédés narratifs utilisés pour déconstruire les représentations publiques stéréotypées et interroge les enjeux de ce contre-discours : que signifie la confrontation de deux figures masculines dont celle de l’otaku opposée à l’idéal japonais de l’homme productif et dévoué au bien commun? Le troisième chapitre cherche à éclairer le paradoxe des entrevues qui jouent avec humour sur la désinformation propagée dans la presse tout en expliquant les aspects inconnus ou moins connus de l’otakisme, phénomène aujourd’hui transnational et positivement connoté hors de son milieu d’origine.

Esta dissertação trata da fanfiction ou fanfic (a príncípio, ficções escritas pelos fãs de determinado objeto cultural filme, seriado de televisão, livro, história em quadrinhos, animação, jogo), com atenção aos conflitos entre escritores de fanfiction quanto às formas de escrita nesse espaço de comunicação. Defende-se que a prática de escrita das fanfictions constitua um campo estruturado no qual seus agentes lutam por capital simbólico, segundo a noção de campo de Pierre Bourdieu. Analisam-se as forças de conservação e de mudança no universo das fanfictions, presentes em um corpus contendo textos escritos pelos fãs discussões, manifestos e fanfic. Nesses textos, os fãs debatem sobre problemas existentes em seu meio (conflito entre autores que buscam a popularidade e os que buscam qualidade, preconceitos com determinadas categorias nesse meio e com aqueles que possuem dificuldade de escrita). Também se analisa a maneira como os fãs e escritores de fanfictions se relacionam com os objetos culturais nos quais se baseiam, com o mercado de entretenimento e com a literatura. Da mesma forma como existem preconceitos entre os fãs, também existem forças que buscam um espaço democrático e livre para escritores e leitores de fanfiction, no qual é possível a escrita de fanfics com temas geralmente rejeitados pelos produtores culturais e pela sociedade, como narrativas envolvendo protagonistas femininas, relacionamentos homossexuais, sexo explícito etc. Assim, a fanfiction é também uma possibilidade para a expressão de grupos minoritários. / This dissertation focuses on fanfictions, or fanfics fictional pieces of writing from fans of a specific cultural object movies, series, books, comic strips, animations, games, etc,) with special attention to the conflicts among the ficwriters which arose from the types of writing in this environment. It is stated that the fanfiction writing practice constitutes a structured field in which its agents fight for symbolic capital, according to the concept created by Pierre Bourdieu. The forces of preservation and change in the fanfiction universe are analyzed in the context of a corpus of written texts created by fans forum discussions, manifests and fanfic. In these texts, fans debate the existing problems in the environment disagreement between authors in search of popularity and those seeking quality, prejudice against certain categories in the field and against authors with difficulties in writing. It also analyses the way fans and fanfiction writers relate with cultural objects on which they base their production, with the entertainment market and with Literature. In the same way there is a great deal of prejudice among fans, there are also forces in search of a democratic space, a free zone for fanfiction writers and readers, where it is possible to produce fanfics whose themes are generally rejected by mainstream media producers and society alike. These themes comprehend narratives with female main characters, homosexual relationships, explicit sex, etc. Therefore, the fanfiction is also an opportunity of free speech for minority groups.

Esta dissertação trata da fanfiction ou fanfic (a príncípio, ficções escritas pelos fãs de determinado objeto cultural filme, seriado de televisão, livro, história em quadrinhos, animação, jogo), com atenção aos conflitos entre escritores de fanfiction quanto às formas de escrita nesse espaço de comunicação. Defende-se que a prática de escrita das fanfictions constitua um campo estruturado no qual seus agentes lutam por capital simbólico, segundo a noção de campo de Pierre Bourdieu. Analisam-se as forças de conservação e de mudança no universo das fanfictions, presentes em um corpus contendo textos escritos pelos fãs discussões, manifestos e fanfic. Nesses textos, os fãs debatem sobre problemas existentes em seu meio (conflito entre autores que buscam a popularidade e os que buscam qualidade, preconceitos com determinadas categorias nesse meio e com aqueles que possuem dificuldade de escrita). Também se analisa a maneira como os fãs e escritores de fanfictions se relacionam com os objetos culturais nos quais se baseiam, com o mercado de entretenimento e com a literatura. Da mesma forma como existem preconceitos entre os fãs, também existem forças que buscam um espaço democrático e livre para escritores e leitores de fanfiction, no qual é possível a escrita de fanfics com temas geralmente rejeitados pelos produtores culturais e pela sociedade, como narrativas envolvendo protagonistas femininas, relacionamentos homossexuais, sexo explícito etc. Assim, a fanfiction é também uma possibilidade para a expressão de grupos minoritários. / This dissertation focuses on fanfictions, or fanfics fictional pieces of writing from fans of a specific cultural object movies, series, books, comic strips, animations, games, etc,) with special attention to the conflicts among the ficwriters which arose from the types of writing in this environment. It is stated that the fanfiction writing practice constitutes a structured field in which its agents fight for symbolic capital, according to the concept created by Pierre Bourdieu. The forces of preservation and change in the fanfiction universe are analyzed in the context of a corpus of written texts created by fans forum discussions, manifests and fanfic. In these texts, fans debate the existing problems in the environment disagreement between authors in search of popularity and those seeking quality, prejudice against certain categories in the field and against authors with difficulties in writing. It also analyses the way fans and fanfiction writers relate with cultural objects on which they base their production, with the entertainment market and with Literature. In the same way there is a great deal of prejudice among fans, there are also forces in search of a democratic space, a free zone for fanfiction writers and readers, where it is possible to produce fanfics whose themes are generally rejected by mainstream media producers and society alike. These themes comprehend narratives with female main characters, homosexual relationships, explicit sex, etc. Therefore, the fanfiction is also an opportunity of free speech for minority groups.

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Summary: The aim of this thesis was to classify the intertextual relationship entered by fan fictions. A fan fiction is a modern literary form, which developed mainly in the second half of the 20th century and has been experiencing real boom since the beginning of the Internet era. Intertextuality is a basic condition for the existence of fan fictions, as these are derivatives of other texts (usually certain popular culture products). Fan fiction is created in fandom as a product of fan activity. These texts are unauthorized, they don't bring profit to their creators and can have a subversive character. Besides the basic intertextual relation to canon, fan fictions enter into a variety of other intertextual relationships. Among these are relationships to the cultural canon similar to those formed by traditional literature. Fan fiction borrows motives and plotlines from fairytales, myths, the Bible, poetry and songs, fiction and movies. On the other hand, fan fiction also enters into such intertextual relationships that are specific for this literary genre. These are so-called crossovers - mixing of several fictional worlds, and relationships to other works of fan fiction - parodies, continuing other authors' stories, replies to so-called challenges and prompts (ideas for stories).

This thesis explores how fandom can be interpreted as a religious experience, specifically examining the fandom of the television show Supernatural. I focus on how fans are emotionally influenced by and drawn to the source material, fan labor/content creation, LGBTQ content and interpretations by the fandom, and toxicity within the fandom.

The relationship between fandoms and religion has become an increasingly popular topic to study within the field of the sociology of religion. In previous studies, there have been different views concerning whether or not fandoms should be regarded as religious from a functional perspective. This issue is especially interesting considering the decreasing popularity of traditional religion in some aspects.   The aim of this essay is to study how Harry Potter fandoms are described in previous studies. The study aims at discerning both the empirical data and how the data is interpreted. The material in this study consists of three previous studies about the communities centered around Harry Potter fandoms. These studies were analyzed in relation to Meredith B. McGuire´s (2002) concept “cultic stance” and Matt Hills (2002) concept “neoreligiosity”.  The studies were analyzed through a hermeneutical text analysis. According to the results, the Harry Potter fandoms examined in the previous studies somewhat relate to both abovementioned theories. The cultic stance was applicable when the fans described a desire for some kind of god or supernatural power. The neoreligiosity was applicable when the fans described their fandom with religious language. The previous studies in my material describe fandoms from different perspectives. The analyses of the previous studies which resulted in that the concepts fit differently on the different previous studies.